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Sony A7R III vs Sony WX500

Portability
63
Imaging
78
Features
93
Overall
84
Sony Alpha A7R III front
 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX500 front
Portability
91
Imaging
43
Features
56
Overall
48

Sony A7R III vs Sony WX500 Key Specs

Sony A7R III
(Full Review)
  • 42MP - Full frame Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Display
  • ISO 100 - 32000 (Increase to 102400)
  • Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
  • No Anti-Alias Filter
  • 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
  • 3840 x 2160 video
  • Sony E Mount
  • 657g - 127 x 96 x 74mm
  • Revealed October 2017
  • Earlier Model is Sony A7R II
  • Later Model is Sony A7R IV
Sony WX500
(Full Review)
  • 18MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 80 - 12800
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 24-720mm (F3.5-6.4) lens
  • 236g - 102 x 58 x 36mm
  • Introduced April 2015
  • Old Model is Sony WX350
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Sony A7R III vs Sony WX500 Overview

On this page, we will be comparing the Sony A7R III and Sony WX500, one is a Pro Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both of them are produced by Sony. There is a big difference among the image resolutions of the A7R III (42MP) and WX500 (18MP) and the A7R III (Full frame) and WX500 (1/2.3") boast totally different sensor sizing.

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The A7R III was revealed 2 years after the WX500 which is a fairly big gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Sony A7R III being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony WX500 being a Compact camera.

Before getting into a comprehensive comparison, here is a concise view of how the A7R III matches up against the WX500 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

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Reasons to pick Sony A7R III over the Sony WX500

 A7R III WX500 
IntroducedOctober 2017April 2015More modern by 31 months
Manually focus Dial precise focus
Screen resolution1440k921kSharper screen (+519k dot)
Touch friendly screen Quickly navigate

Reasons to pick Sony WX500 over the Sony A7R III

 WX500 A7R III 

Common features in the Sony A7R III and Sony WX500

 A7R III WX500 
Screen typeTiltingTiltingTilting screen
Screen dimensions3"3"Equal screen measurement
Selfie screen Missing selfie screen

Sony A7R III vs Sony WX500 Physical Comparison

If you're aiming to carry around your camera frequently, you are going to need to consider its weight and volume. The Sony A7R III has exterior dimensions of 127mm x 96mm x 74mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.9") accompanied by a weight of 657 grams (1.45 lbs) while the Sony WX500 has sizing of 102mm x 58mm x 36mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.4") having a weight of 236 grams (0.52 lbs).

Analyze the Sony A7R III and Sony WX500 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are employing during that time. Below is a front view measurement comparison of the A7R III vs the WX500.

Sony A7R III vs Sony WX500 size comparison

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the A7R III and WX500 is 63 and 91 respectively.

Sony A7R III vs Sony WX500 top view buttons comparison

Sony A7R III vs Sony WX500 Sensor Comparison

Usually, it can be hard to visualise the gap in sensor sizes purely by seeing a spec sheet. The pic underneath should provide you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the A7R III and WX500.

Clearly, both the cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The A7R III having a bigger sensor will make getting shallow DOF less difficult and the Sony A7R III will show extra detail because of its extra 24 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop pictures more aggressively. The more modern A7R III is going to have an advantage when it comes to sensor innovation.

Sony A7R III vs Sony WX500 sensor size comparison

Sony A7R III vs Sony WX500 Screen and ViewFinder

Sony A7R III vs Sony WX500 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Sony A7R III as a Portrait photography camera
Sony WX500 as a Portrait photography camera
86
you can focus manually
fantastic megapixels (42MP)
sensor size is great (Full frame)
supports face detection focus
saves RAW formats
39
good MP (18 megapixels)
has face detection autofocus
lack of manual focus
cannot use external flash
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
has no RAW support
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Street Comparison

Sony A7R III Street photography details
Sony WX500 Street photography details
79
has a tilting screen
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
sensor size is great (Full frame)
saves RAW formats
provides touch focus
environment sealing
good ISO range (32,000)
69
screen tilts up and down
built in image stabilization (Optical)
lighter than competition in class (236 grams)
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
has no RAW support
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Sports Comparison

Sports photography with Sony A7R III
Sports photography with Sony WX500
89
maximum shutter speed is high (1/8,000s)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
fantastic megapixels (42MP)
sensor size is great (Full frame)
supports tracking autofocus
environment sealing
great battery (650 per charge)
comes with phase detect auto focus
57
great zoom range (24-720mm 30.0 x zoom)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
good MP (18 megapixels)
has tracking autofocus
better than average battery life (360 shots)
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
has no phase detect autofocus
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Travel Comparison

Sony A7R III Travel photography features
Sony WX500 Travel photography features
74
great battery (650 CIPA)
environment sealing
has bluetooth
provides touch focus
fantastic megapixels (42 megapixels)
doesn't have selfie friendly screen
71
better than average battery life (360 per charge)
lighter than competition in class (236g)
good MP (18MP)
flash built-in
decently wide (24mm)
great reach (720mm)
no Time Lapse function
display is not selfie friendly
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
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Landscape Comparison

Sony A7R III as a Landscape photography camera
Sony WX500 as a Landscape photography camera
87
you can focus manually
swap lenses (Sony E mount)
screen size is good (3 inches)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
fantastic megapixels (42MP)
sensor size is great (Full frame)
doesnt have anti-alias filter
good ISO range (32,000)
saves RAW formats
environment sealing
great battery (650 CIPA)
has dual storage slots
49
decently wide (24mm)
screen size is good (3 inch)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
good MP (18MP)
better than average battery life (360 CIPA)
lack of manual focus
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
has no RAW support
no Time Lapse function
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Vlogging Comparison

Sony A7R III as a Vlogging camera
Sony WX500 as a Vlogging camera
37
touchscreen functionality
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
supports face detection focus
high quality video (3840 x 2160 pixels)
does have external mic jack
doesn't have selfie friendly screen
35
decently wide (24mm)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
has face detection autofocus
video res high (1920 x 1080 pxls)
lighter than competition in class (236g)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
display is not selfie friendly
no external mic socket
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Sony A7R III vs Sony WX500 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Sony A7R III and Sony WX500
 Sony Alpha A7R IIISony Cyber-shot DSC-WX500
General Information
Brand Sony Sony
Model type Sony Alpha A7R III Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX500
Class Pro Mirrorless Small Sensor Superzoom
Revealed 2017-10-25 2015-04-14
Physical type SLR-style mirrorless Compact
Sensor Information
Powered by Bionz X Bionz X
Sensor type BSI-CMOS BSI-CMOS
Sensor size Full frame 1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions 35.9 x 24mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor area 861.6mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 42MP 18MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 3:2 and 16:9 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Highest Possible resolution 7952 x 5304 4896 x 3672
Maximum native ISO 32000 12800
Maximum enhanced ISO 102400 -
Minimum native ISO 100 80
RAW images
Minimum enhanced ISO 50 -
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch to focus
AF continuous
AF single
AF tracking
Selective AF
Center weighted AF
Multi area AF
AF live view
Face detect AF
Contract detect AF
Phase detect AF
Total focus points 425 -
Lens
Lens mount type Sony E fixed lens
Lens zoom range - 24-720mm (30.0x)
Largest aperture - f/3.5-6.4
Macro focusing range - 5cm
Number of lenses 121 -
Focal length multiplier 1 5.8
Screen
Display type Tilting Tilting
Display size 3 inches 3 inches
Display resolution 1,440 thousand dots 921 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch screen
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Electronic None
Viewfinder resolution 3,686 thousand dots -
Viewfinder coverage 100% -
Viewfinder magnification 0.78x -
Features
Minimum shutter speed 30 secs 30 secs
Fastest shutter speed 1/8000 secs 1/2000 secs
Continuous shutter rate 10.0fps 10.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Custom WB
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash distance no built-in flash 5.40 m (with Auto ISO)
Flash modes Off, Auto, Fill-flash, Slow Sync, Rear Sync, Red-eye reduction, Wireless, Hi-speed sync Auto, flash on, slow sync, flash off, rear sync
External flash
AE bracketing
WB bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Video resolutions 3840 x 2160 (30p, 25p, 24p), 1920 x 1080 (60p, 60i, 24p), 1440 x 1080 (30p), 640 x 480 (30p) 1920 x 1080 (60p, 60i, 30p, 24p), 1280 x 720 (30p)
Maximum video resolution 3840x2160 1920x1080
Video format MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S AVCHD, XAVC S
Mic port
Headphone port
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 3.1 Gen 1(5 GBit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 657g (1.45 lbs) 236g (0.52 lbs)
Physical dimensions 127 x 96 x 74mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.9") 102 x 58 x 36mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.4")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating 100 not tested
DXO Color Depth rating 26.0 not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating 14.7 not tested
DXO Low light rating 3523 not tested
Other
Battery life 650 photographs 360 photographs
Battery type Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID NP-FZ100 NP-BX1
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec; continuous (3 or 5 exposures)) Yes
Time lapse recording
Type of storage Two SD/SDHC/SDXC slots (UHS-II support on one) SD/SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Duo
Card slots Dual One
Retail cost $2,800 $348